Saturday, April 9th - A Taste of India Evening $65 Includes:

4:30 – 6 pm Afternoon Asana
6:30 – 7:30 pm Ayurvedic Inspired Indian themed Vegetarian Dinner by Jess Quinn of Be Nutritious
8 pm Odissi Dance Performance by Akari Ueoka

About Odissi

Odissi is one of the classical Indian dance forms, originated in Orissa, northeastern India. It was born in the temple of Lord Jagannath, “Lord of the Universe,” and was danced by Maharis, the temple dancers. When the temple system came under threat, the dance form was transplanted to the villages and performed by young boys called Gotipua. In late 40s, gurus revived Odissi, and over time, it has found new life on the stages of India and around the world. Odissi blends tandava (masculine energies) and lasya (feminine energies) through fluid hand, eye and torso movements, and exciting rhythmic footwork.

About Akari Ueoka

Akari has loved dancing since she was able to walk. In elementary school, she learned a traditional Japanese dance called Minbu, and she joined the rhythmic gymnastics club in high school. From there, her passion for dance grew stronger, and she studied various dance forms, including jazz, modern, ballet, and hip-hop at the Suga Jazz Dance Studio in Kochi. She also studied Yosakoi dance under guidance of the late Suga Kunitomo, a well-known choreographer/teacher in Japan. Since her introduction to the form, Akari has performed Yosakoi in over 50 cities throughout Japan, Croatia, India, the continental US, and in Hawaii.

In 2005, Akari met Sarala Dandekar on Maui. After falling in love with the performance of Sarala’s classical Indian dance Odissi, Akari began her study with Sarala. Akari had her Manchapravesh, a debut ceremony in 2012. Akari is deeply intrigued by this spiritual, historical, and beautifully intricate dance form, so much so, she traveled to India to study with Guru Jhelum Paranjape in Mumbai in 2013. She also has been taking workshops from Guru Vishnu Tattva Das of California, who is a prominent male dancer.